Statement re: Ask Athena column

Pride Center of Vermont (PCVT) is New England’s most comprehensive community center dedicated to advancing the health and safety of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Vermonters. The Pride Center’s programs and services strive to meet the distinct and unique needs of our LGBTQ community. Our drop-in resource center, community meeting spaces, 3,000-volume lending library, David Bohnett Cyber Center, and social events all help us to build community and create increased access to information and resources for all Vermonters. In Seven Days’ most recent issue (Vol. 23, No. 17), the Ask Athena columnist stated that “admirers” of the trans-femme community should come to the Pride Center to find potential romantic partners, while simultaneously using outdated and offensive language. This advice creates an unsafe environment for trans women, and encourages the fetishization of one’s trans status. PCVT works to provide a safe space for all members of our community at our South Champlain Street location, and does not tolerate any form of voyeurism or fetishization of our transgender family.

To learn more about trans allyship and fetishization, check out some of these great articles: